Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday asserted that Western liberal democracy is ill-suited for Africa, particularly Nigeria, citing its failure to deliver on good governance and progressive development for the continent. The ex-president called for a re-examination and moderation of the Western democratic model as it is practiced in African nations.
Speaking at the high-level consultation on “Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa” held at the Green Resort Legacy, Obasanjo emphasized the need to confront the reality that Western democracy has fallen short of expectations in Africa. He urged for a pragmatic approach to adapt the democratic framework to better address the unique challenges and peculiarities of the African continent.
Obasanjo argued that one of the fundamental flaws in the application of Western democracy in Africa lies in its foreign origins.
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The democratic model, he contended, did not consider the rich tapestry of African history, multicultural complexities, and other distinct aspects that define the continent. The former president highlighted the necessity of a homegrown system that accommodates the values and perspectives of the African people.
Central to Obasanjo’s critique was the assertion that Western democracy failed in Africa because it overlooked the opinions of the majority. He asserted that for true representation and effective governance, African nations should actively participate in the definition and design of their governance systems.
He described Western Liberal Democracy as a “government of a few people over all the people or population, and these few people are representatives of only some of the people and not full representatives of all the people. Invariably, the majority of the people are wittingly or unwittingly kept out.”
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He proposed the adoption of what he referred to as “Afro democracy” instead of Western liberal democracy. Obasanjo argued that African nations should not engage in a governance system where they lack involvement in its “definition and design.”
He called for a departure from a system that imposes foreign ideals without considering the intricate dynamics of African societies.
Obasanjo said,
“The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content, context, and practice.
“Once you move from all the people to representatives of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems. For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected, and excluded?
“In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design, and we continue with it even when we know that it is not working for us.
“Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability, and its relevance today without reform.
“The essence of any system of government is the welfare and well-being of the people—all the people.
“Here, we must interrogate the performance of democracy in the West when it originated from and with us, the inheritors of what we are left with by our colonial powers.
“We are here to stop being foolish and stupid. Can we look inward and outward to see what in our country, culture, tradition, practice, and living over the years that we can learn from, adopt, and adapt with practices everywhere for a changed system of government that will service our purpose better and deliver?
“We have to think outside the box and then act with our new thinking. You are invited here to examine clinically the practice of liberal democracy, identify its shortcomings for our society, and bring forth ideas and recommendations that can serve our purpose better, knowing human beings for what we are and going by our experiences and the experiences of others.
“We are here to think as leaders of thought in academia and leaders of thought with some experience in politics.”
